ACC trophy: Drakes hits back

UAE coach Vasbert Drakes has expressed his disappointment at speculation in a UAE newspaper surrounding his future at the helm of the national side and insisted he is focused on nothing but the ACC Trophy in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, which begins tomorrow.

The former West Indian fast bowler was hired by the Emirates Cricket Board on a short-term basis back in May and has made no secret of his enjoyment of the role so far. But a disgruntled Drakes believes too much has been written into his desire to continue as coach beyond the Kuala Lumpur tournament.

Misinterpreted

Shortly before the team left for Malaysia, he told XPRESS: "I believe it has been blown out of proportion. People have misinterpreted what I have said. I’ve enjoyed working with the team but with regard to the future, we will deal with it at the appropriate time. Once the ACC Trophy is over, we will review the situation."

For now, Drakes has called on his squad to seize the ACC Trophy opportunity and improve on last month’s Asia Cup campaign in Pakistan. "Life is all about learning experiences," he said. "The players need to realise they have to be more disciplined in their mindset. Given the opportunity we have got, the guys have got to set higher standards for themselves and the team if they are to narrow the gap between them and the other teams.

"We have a tendency to slacken up in our fielding. That’s an area we have to pay greater attention to and also improve our concentration for longer periods during games," he continued.

Change needed

The 38-year-old Barbadian also shed more light on the decision to toss the captaincy to veteran all-rounder Khurram Khan.

"We needed a bit of change. Saqib [Ali] can concentrate on his batting now. Khurram obviously with his experience is the type of leader to get the best out of the players. There are no issues at all. Saqib did well but we were looking to go in a different direction, obviously a positive one," he said.

UAE begin their campaign against Saudi Arabia tomorrow.

ACC TROPHY

Group A

UAE, Afghanistan, Bahrain, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia

UAE fixtures

July 25: v Saudi Arabia

July 26: v Afghanistan

July 28: v Bahrain

July 29: v Malaysia

Selection controversy: Quota system needs right handling

Vasbert Drakes believes the quota system implemented by the Emirates Cricket Board selectors with the aim of getting more Emiratis involved in the game is capable of succeeding with the right approach.

The present system, which calls for four Emiratis to be a part of the national team squad with two among the starting 11, has been a much talked about subject since it was introduced ahead of last month’s Asia Cup in Pakistan.

However, Drakes has made his views on the hot topic crystal clear.

"I have been part of such a system in South Africa, I experienced it," Drakes told XPRESS, referring to his time as a player with provincial side Border. "I understand the need to have locals playing the game. But we have also got to be sensible about it. You have to take into consideration the stakeholders who invest their money into the team. People want to see a reason for [a quota system] existing. If there is a proper criterion with the right objectives and if there is consistency, I can see it working," added the coach.